Chief, don't hit me in the face

Chapter 28: Son of the Ancestors

For a sorcerer to advance in rank, they must absorb sufficient primordial energy; however, if their body is too weak, they cannot retain it. Therefore, they must temper their body so that their cells can lock in more primordial energy. The pills Lu Lingxi had given him simultaneously replenished qi and blood, strengthened muscles and the body, and facilitated the absorption of primordial energy—which is why they enabled the user to advance in rank. However, there was one problem: the absorption of primordial energy triggered by the pills was always massive. If it wasn’t released in time, it would cause the body to burst, leading to a violent explosion and death. Discharging primordial energy through combat witchcraft is an excellent solution, but in Xia Ye’s case, it actually caused the absorption of primordial energy to increase even further. It backfired! Lu Lingxi racked her brain, trying to figure out a solution—after all, she had never encountered a situation like this before. Huff! Xia Ye breathed heavily, spewing out white streams of energy—each about a chi long—one after another. The Thirty-Two Forms grew faster and faster as his body absorbed primordial energy and then unleashed it! A cycle had been formed! Primordial energy surged through Xia Ye’s body like a waterfall, toning his muscles, strengthening and nourishing his cells, and flushing out impurities. Some black, impure bodily fluids seeped out of her pores, only to evaporate in an instant, and a foul odor began to spread. Fortunately, Xia Ye had been practicing diligently without fail during this period. Before and after meals, as well as before bed and upon waking, he would first perform a round of the “Riding the Dragon, Returning to the Character” technique. By now, he had become highly proficient, executing the thirty-two forms without the slightest pause. This also allowed the circulation of vital energy to flow more smoothly; otherwise, stiff and sluggish movements would cause the flow of vital energy to slow, leading to stagnation within the body, blockage of the meridians, and ultimately, the body exploding. “What kind of witchcraft is this?” Lu Lingxi was stunned—the scale of the Yuan Qi devouring triggered by this was simply too immense! But what was even more astonishing was this young man’s physique! He actually managed to withstand it—if an ordinary witch were subjected to such a onslaught, their muscles would have long since been torn to shreds by the raging tide of Yuan Qi. His body temperature continued to rise, and Xia Ye’s skin had turned completely crimson! Sizzle! Raindrops hadn’t even hit Xia Ye yet—they were evaporated the moment they neared him. For a moment, white vapor billowed up, as if shrouded in mist. “It’s still not enough!” Enduring the agony of primordial energy flooding his body, Xia Ye furrowed his brow. This was already the maximum rate at which the “Dragon-Taming Return” technique could channel energy, but based on his previous experience, at the very last moment of breaking through a rank, a massive surge of primordial energy would be consumed—what would he do then? There was no time to think. As he struck the 31st form once more, he reached his peak. Boom! Xia Ye’s entire body’s vital energy surged upward, churning the surrounding steam and coalescing into the head of a ferocious ancient beast. With its fangs bared in a ferocious snarl, it opened its massive jaws wide, and the primordial energy gathered around it surged into its gaping maw as if being sucked in by a giant whale. This scene lasted a full ten breaths, after which the colossal beast’s head roared! Roar! The powerful sound waves swept the rainwater aside in an instant, creating a semicircular void before the rain fell back down. Pat-pat! “What a formidable spell!” Lu Lingxi exclaimed in awe. At the Fengjing Ruins, inside a stone hut that had been temporarily refurbished, Cao Ang, who had been meditating, suddenly opened his eyes. “Is that the roar of a fierce beast? Could there be a battle?” Cao Xu’s ears twitched—as an archer, he had keen hearing. The others, who were warming themselves by the fire, immediately pricked up their ears, but heard nothing except the sound of rain. “This damn rainy weather!” Cao Xiong spat on the ground, feeling utterly frustrated, as the heavy rain made travel difficult and had significantly slowed down their search for the hidden treasure. “I hope every last one of those Xia clan members dies!” Cao Bing cursed. “Hurry up and eat, then let’s get going!” Cao Ang urged. The team members hurriedly ate their meals; those who had already finished took a quick rest. Even Cao Lan, the only girl in the group, didn’t complain—a testament to their discipline. At a makeshift camp north of the city, Xia Li gazed up at the sky, her face filled with worry. Xia Qingyuan had been gone for two days and still hadn’t returned. “I hope nothing’s gone wrong.” Xia Yang carefully wiped his stone knife with a piece of burlap, his expression grave. “Brother Qingyuan is really capable!” Xia Xiong glanced around and lowered his voice: “I’ll let you in on a secret: Brother Qingyuan has been chosen by the Son of the Ancestor. As long as he passes the Blood Survival Trial, he’ll be able to join!” Wow! Xia Li gasped, her face full of envy and admiration. The Sons of the Ancestor is a very mysterious organization with extremely high admission standards. It only recruits young people under the age of twenty from various tribes—and they must be the elite. “Pfft, this organization sure has a big reputation, but who knows if it even exists!” Xia Yang scoffed. “How could it not exist? You didn’t know, did you? To join, you need a Son of the Ancestors to recommend you, and Xia Jie made a promise to Brother Qingyuan!” Cao Xiong dropped a major bombshell. “Wow!” Xia Li let out another gasp, then immediately thought it made perfect sense—given Brother Qingyuan’s strength, he was bound to earn Xia Jie’s favor. “When will Xia Jie ever take notice of me?” Xia Qiufeng sighed. Xia Jie was the clan chief’s youngest son, hailed as the Xia clan’s greatest prodigy in a century, and was reportedly already the tribe’s designated successor to the clan chief. “As long as I perform well in the trials!” Xia Qingyuan ran back, braving the wind and rain. “Brother Qingyuan!” The four of them hurried to greet him. Xia Yang had always felt that he and Xia Qingyuan were on roughly the same level—they were partners in the wilderness. In the past, he would never have bothered to stand up; a casual greeting would have sufficed. But the phrase “Son of the Ancestor” made him unconsciously feel a notch below. “If what Xia Xiong said is true, could Xia Qingyuan put in a good word for me?” Xia Yang was lost in thought. As for going to Xia Jie to recommend himself, he didn’t have the courage—after all, Xia Jie was notorious for his volatile temper, and he rarely took notice of ordinary people. “Are you hurt?” Xia Li looked at the bloodstains on Xia Qingyuan’s clothes with some concern. “I’m fine. I’ll just rest for a bit.” Xia Qingyuan waved his hand, burrowed under the blanket, and let out a sigh of relief. This trip to the Fengjing Ruins had truly been a huge win. Inside the stone hut, Song Guo hopped around happily. Lu Lingxi’s herbs really worked—Xia Ye’s injuries had completely healed. “I feel like some frail, delicate pretty boy!” Xia Ye gave a wry smile. After shedding his old skin, his new skin was smooth and delicate—but in this era, no one envied that, since iron-hard scars and muscular physiques were the mainstream ideal. “It’s okay—you still have some muscles!” Lu Lingxi covered her mouth and giggled softly. “True—it’s perfect for pretending to be sickly!” It was common for young people to cut a few bloody gashes into their bodies with a knife just to look brave. Lu Lingxi froze for a moment, then rolled her eyes. “Sneaky!” Lu Lingxi had witnessed Xia Ye’s test with her own eyes—he effortlessly lifted a 700-shi stone, a strength standard typically only achieved at the fifth level of the Body Tempering Realm. This kid might look skinny, but anyone who underestimates him as a weakling is asking to get their head smashed in! “You guys hold the fort—I’m outta here!” Xia Ye licked his lips and continued to challenge the Headless Battle Spirit. After advancing in rank, Xia Ye’s physical abilities had improved across the board, and his five senses had become even sharper, allowing him to handle the Headless Battle Spirit with greater ease. Whether it was due to the effects of the “Yulong Gui” technique or the recovery his body had undergone during several years of quiet convalescence, the pain left over from the blood sacrifice had yet to flare up. In years past, damp, rainy days had been pure torture for Xia Ye—it felt as if countless insects and ants were crawling and gnawing inside his bones, causing a numbing, aching pain! Whoosh! The headless battle spirit swung its massive sword. Xia Ye clenched his teeth and pressed his left hand against the blade. Boom! With a thunderous crash, Xia Ye was flung more than ten meters away like a kite whose string had snapped. But as he fell, he braced his lower back, executed a graceful somersault, and landed steadily on the floor. This distance placed him exactly fifty meters away. Phew! Xia Ye exhaled. His fingers were numb, his arms aching, and he was trembling violently, but this time, not only were there no broken bones, but even the web of his hand hadn’t been shaken to the point of pain—which thrilled him immensely. Clap! Applause erupted. Xia Ye’s pupils contracted; he spun around abruptly and sprinted forward with all his might, the “Song of the Four Seasons” already raised in his hand. He intended to launch a surprise attack and catch the enemy off guard, but after just two steps, he stopped. Song Guo, wrapped in a bearskin, stood by the stone gate, clapping her little hands excitedly. “Big brother’s somersault landing was so cool!” “Why are you here again?” Xia Ye smiled helplessly; the little girl had appeared on tiptoe and nearly gave him a heart attack. “It’s been half a day since the rain stopped!” Song Guo explained that as soon as the rain stopped, members of other tribes in the ruins had begun to move about, and she was worried that Xia Ye might be in danger. “Heh!” Xia Ye grabbed the bear head dangling from the back of Song Guo’s neck and flipped it over her head. The disguise was incredibly lifelike—even up close, you wouldn’t notice it unless you looked closely. “Aww, you’re so mean!” Song Guo shook her head from side to side, but soon burst into giggles and hugged Xia Ye’s thigh. Xia Ye’s original plan had been simple: secretly learn the Headless Battle Spirit’s combat techniques, and if he got injured, leave decisively. After all, as a third-stage Body Tempering Realm cultivator, he had no business trying to snatch others’ spoils. But now things were different—not only had he advanced in rank, but he was also in exceptional form and had begun to master the Headless Seven Forms. The “Headless Seven Styles” were this Battle Spirit’s sword techniques; Xia Ye didn’t know their original name, so he simply called them that. “I can go out and plunder a bit!” Xia Ye hadn’t forgotten the Cao tribe squad that had hunted him down—they’d make the perfect sacrificial offering. As for the guilt of plundering and killing—what was that, anyway? Could you eat it? In the civilization of this era, barbarism and bloodshed, war and death were the dominant themes. No justification was needed—as long as someone bore the tribal crest of a different clan, they were an enemy. Killing them or capturing them to gain a slave was the only right course of action. Throughout the history of all nations, the pages are filled with conquest and subjugation; the birth and rise of a civilization inevitably pass through the crucible of blood and fire. The weak are crushed into dust by war, while the strong write epics, forging their glory across the empire’s lands—conquer! Conquer! Conquer again! Xia Ye looked toward the stone niche. The headless battle spirit had once again knelt on one knee beside it. With the secret treasure right before him, he simply could not bring himself to leave it behind. “Song Guo, stay right here. You are absolutely forbidden to step forward!” After giving this warning, Xia Ye gripped his sword hilt tightly and charged forward to issue the challenge.